


Timeless: Every Moment Counts

by ATYPICAL28



Category: Timeless (TV 2016)
Genre: Alternate History, Drama & Romance, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/F, F/M, Family, Fluff, Friendship, Garcia Flynn & Lucy Preston Friendship, Garcia Flynn Deserves Better, Minor Wyatt Logan/Lucy Preston, Original Character(s), POV Garcia Flynn, Season/Series 01, Slow Burn, Time Loop, Time Travel, Timeless Alternate Season 2, Timeless Season 3 Project
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-01
Updated: 2021-03-05
Packaged: 2021-03-13 22:47:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Underage
Chapters: 8
Words: 13,830
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29783238
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ATYPICAL28/pseuds/ATYPICAL28
Summary: Loraine raised her head high as she walked through the crowd of interviewers and reporters. Not once did she look towards a camera, nor did she break down like she so desperately wanted to. She would act fine for as long as others were around because she had to stay strong for the younger girl who walked at her side, fingers clasped around the hem of her shirt. Tears stung in her eyes and she blinked rapidly, wanting to rid of them as quickly as she could.
Relationships: Garcia Flynn/Lucy Preston, Garcia Flynn/Original Character(s), Rufus Carlin/Jiya, Wyatt Logan/Lucy Preston
Comments: 13
Kudos: 6





	1. ♟ Cast ♟

** Featuring in Order of Appearance **

**_[Young Loraine Preston](https://media.tenor.com/images/dbed9e2bbcf6206a84abf7760addf368/tenor.gif)\- Dafne Keen_ **

_"So what if you have a bad scratch?"_

**_[Young Lucy Preston](https://img.wattpad.com/fb7421c02b9edb9c135cc47da99acb5b8cfc4079/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f6a6865785258467935742d7469513d3d2d3738323737333037342e313563333331613733393263326231323935393632393831373939312e676966?s=fit&w=720&h=720)\- McKenna Grace_ **

**_Gruber- N/A_ **

_"If I told you the truth, you wouldn't believe me."_

**_[Carol Preston](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/9maxV-QX0FXkB8qR8MY1kKUhfkcpyrcsKIf50msJQa9bzuvhPBRV-PC1Yhc08Xrpe6SDFf98)\- Susanna Thompson_ **

_"Loraine, you're not making any sense."_

**_[Adult Loraine Preston](https://d.wattpad.com/story_parts/832112461/images/15ed930a95aff187379807358761.gif)\- Kate Siegel_ **

_"There are simply no men that I find desirable. They all want something more than I do..."_

**_[Amy](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/DBD-kGdRmk0rAJTOlcgINHVnKHgzPzLHoCcH-xDLKfoLUXNQhQwF6dGY5or6cI3w4S2cRsKx_NJ1ENWQas-IxGfpNv1jdmTQ8qZa23PaXMUcA0oYbLnsaK3RyrEvoVZnQ-udsElgMb1m5kZV)\- Bailey Noble_ **

_"Maybe it was all a dream..."_

**_[Adult Lucy Preston](https://media1.tenor.com/images/a90ed1e2796599d628bbcc212337ba1c/tenor.gif?itemid=14237970)\- Abigail Spencer_ **

_"I'm gonna fight this."_

**_[Flynn](https://media1.tenor.com/images/933f8f0183d39a3c158d8632ded5a3a5/tenor.gif?itemid=12362706)\- Goran Višnjić_ **

_"I thought you deserved the truth."_

**_[Agent Christopher](https://media1.tenor.com/images/fded4fd9e56149a312aeb1c9856c49c9/tenor.gif?itemid=12245026)\- Sakina Jaffrey_ **

_"Just promise me you'll all be careful..."_

**_[Connor Mason](https://media2.giphy.com/media/454rBq1HaupZ6NBpPQ/giphy.gif)\- Paterson Joseph_ **

_"Rufus, I'm not giving you a choice. I'm telling you what you need to do."_

**_[Wyatt Logan](http://images6.fanpop.com/image/photos/41400000/Wyatt-Logan-Fan-Art-timeless-tv-series-41430614-300-150.gif)\- Matt Lanter_ **

_"I lost my life when I lost the woman I loved."_

**_[Rufus Carlin](https://media1.tenor.com/images/060f04e4917ec0ed65b453907ae1f296/tenor.gif?itemid=12245359)\- Malcolm Barrett_ **

_"Do you maybe...wanna get a burger sometime? Or whatever you want, I'm up for anything."_

**_[Jiya](https://media1.tenor.com/images/40415cdf4621bd6d0ce7edff80a2925f/tenor.gif?itemid=14240030)\- Claudia Doumit_ **

_"Something's wrong. I can't see him anymore."_


	2. Prologue

_1991_

Loraine raised her head high as she walked through the crowd of interviewers and reporters. Not once did she look towards a camera, nor did she break down like she so desperately wanted to. She would act fine for as long as others were around because she had to stay strong for the younger girl who walked at her side, fingers clasped around the hem of her shirt. Tears stung in her eyes and she blinked rapidly, wanting to rid of them as quickly as she could. She hardly heard the blaring sirens or instructions the rather polite man was giving her, "Everything will be okay sweetie," he told her, the lower half of his face concealed by a mask.

_Everything will be okay,_ she repeated the words a few times to herself as she tried to focus on the man's features. She'd never seen those dark eyes, nor the messy locks before, but though his face wasn't all visible, his smile was spotted within the soft and kind wrinkles around his eyes. _Why is he wearing a mask?_ She opened her mouth to ask him, but he put a hand up to stop her, "It's time to go. You and Lucy will be perfectly safe with me until your mother arrives. Loraine froze, giving the man a frown as she shook her head,

"I-I don't know who you are and our mother wouldn't-"

"Here," he removed a wallet from his pocket, producing a photograph of her mother and father, "We're old friends." his voice was gruff she realized, one that made the hairs on her neck rise. There was something about this man that made her feel uncomfortable, as though he'd done something horrible in his past life. Or was _planning_ to do something bad. She had always had a strange insight for reading people, but this time...there was also something about this man that made her want to trust him. She looked down at Lucy, who was staring back at the man with scrunched brows, seeming to wonder the same thing she was wondering. Their mother had been working late and they'd called her only several minutes before the cops arrived. It shouldn't have been too much longer now before she showed up.

"Why are you wearing that mask?" Lucy voiced Loraine's concern and the man seemed to collect himself before saying with a sigh, "Let's just say what's underneath this mask would scare you two." Loraine and Lucy exchanged a confused look. Loraine was sixteen years old, seven years her sister's senior. She was certain that whatever he was hiding wouldn't scare her, but if it was enough to do it for Lucy, she wasn't going to press on for more information, though it _did_ leave her curious. She bit her bottom lip, knowing full well that the only way to contact their mother would be to use a house phone. She looked towards the police car where her father had disappeared and closed her eyes tightly, her breathing hitching as she tried to think of the best thing to do.

"Loraine..." the man whispered, kneeling down to her height. She opened her eyes to see him searching her face for something. He probably saw the fear in her eyes because he hesitated before wrapping his arms around her, "I know it's hard to lose someone you love." She stiffened against him, but a feeling of relief spread through her and she waited until he pulled away before she nodded, unaware of the tears that now stained her face until he reached forward and lightly wiped them away, "C'mon. I already let your mom know that I'd have you two at the Inn down the street. She has to take care of your father first." He offered his hand to Lucy, but she hid her face away in Loraine's side, causing the older sister to give her a soothing back rub before looking to the man, "I'm deciding to trust you...but..." She looked him up and down before turning and spying a cop in the crowd, "I'm at least going to tell someone we're going with you."

The man gave her a curt nod and she led Lucy with her towards an officer, letting him know where she'd be and who she would be with, giving him the information she thought he'd need before returning back to the man with a forced smile, "I never did get your name, sir." His eyes twinkled before he chuckled and shrugged,

"Call me Gruber."

*** * ***

Loraine sat on the edge of the hotel bed, looking across at Gruber as he dialed the phone for the fourth time. She fiddled with her fingers, finding her chest clenching rather tightly, but she ignored the feeling and focused on what was happening. Their mother wasn't picking up and it'd been an hour already. _Everything is going to be okay._ How true were these words that she still held onto? Lucy had fallen asleep next to her, shuffling as she dreamed. Loraine kept a close eye on her, but her gaze kept shifting to Gruber as well. _Gruber. Where have I heard that name before?_ The name seemed somewhat foreign. One that stood out to her. She'd never met anyone named Gruber before, but she figured it didn't really matter anyway. What mattered was that they got a hold of their mother. 

It wasn't much longer after the fifth call that he gave up, resting a hand on the wall as he rested his forehead against it. He seemed more stressed out about the situation than them, but why would that be? _He does claim to be an old friend of Mom and Dad._ She felt a strange tension rise between them as he turned to her, drawing in a steady breath, "She may still be handling your father." He moved to the other bed and sat down, glancing over at Lucy before returning his gaze to Loraine, "She'll call back soon I'm sure." Loraine just nodded, staring down at her hands awkwardly. She still didn't know so much about this man, which put her on edge just a bit as every moment ticked by. 

"I know this isn't your ideal situation, Loraine. But I swear, I'm not the bad guy here," he muttered, keeping his eyes trained on the phone when she looked over at him. She furrowed her brows in concentration, eyes roaming over his figure. He was incredibly tall, his arms hanging limp at his sides and his legs planted perfectly on the floor. His posture was just slightly slumped, seeming to note he was at least comfortable. He ran a shaky hand through his hair and a silence fell upon them. There was a strange tingling that ran up her spine when she looked at the upper part of his face, and she was suddenly reminded of what he'd said about what was underneath. 

"Mister Gruber?" she cleared her throat, making him turn to her, eyes frowning as he gestured for her to go on with what she wanted to say. His mind was obviously preoccupied with something else. "W-What exactly is...under your mask?" He tensed at the question and shook his head,

"Nothing important Loraine." This made her avert her gaze once again, but the twisting of curiosity inside her made her get to her feet and come to stand in front of him. He raised his eyes to hers and his brows knitted together as she whispered softly,

"Look, you and I have never met...and I'd at least feel a bit more comfortable if I saw all of your face..." He nodded slowly before carefully removing the mask, the lower half of his face covered with a thick gash that ran from just beneath his eye, running diagonally to his chin. He kept her gaze, hands gripping the mask tightly until his knuckles grew white. She shook her head,

"I don't understand." Gruber blinked, wondering where she was going to go with this. "You said we'd be scared," she giggled despite herself and rolled her eyes, "So what if you have a bad scratch?" Feeling more comfortable already, she sat beside him and tilted her head, "How'd you get it?" He scanned her face with his eyes and shrugged,

"If I told you the truth, you wouldn't believe me." Loraine raised a brow and saw the way his face dipped in sudden grief. She had the urge to comfort him as he had done to her before, but she refrained and instead gave a small chuckle,

"Try me." Gruber raised her head to look at her and rolled his eyes in a playful manner, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips,

"Well...I'm actually a-" his words however were interrupted by a knock on the door and the two jumped to their feet. Fear crossed his features and he put a finger to his lips, tiptoeing to the door as he checked the peephole, letting out the breath he was holding before opening it up to show her mother, tears of happiness running down her face as she looked from Loraine to Lucy,

"Thank God you two are alright!" She brushed past Gruber as though he weren't even there, embracing her oldest daughter, holding her close as she shuddered against her. Loraine wrapped her arms around her tightly and buried her face in her shoulder, trying not to think about where her father was now. He'd been taken from them and seeing as he wasn't here now, with her mother, that couldn't have been a good thing. After a moment, she looked up to where Gruber had been, only to find he was gone, vanished into the night. She frowned, "Where did he go?" She spoke mostly to herself, but her mother pulled back and looked at her, putting a caressing hand on her cheek as she gave her a worried expression, "Who honey?"

"I-" she turned around, blinking as she drew in a sharp breath. She was no longer in a hotel, but in her house, standing in the living room as her sister slept on the couch. "But-H-He was here. And the hotel, he took us to an Inn to wait for you-"

"Loraine, you're not making any sense," her mother got to her feet and Loraine's eyes widened as she stumbled back, seeing the roundness of her mother's belly. That hadn't been there before. She looked down at Lucy and herself. She was still wearing the same pajama shirt and sweats. Something was wrong. Something was horribly wrong. Why couldn't her mother see it? One moment they were in a hotel and now- They were just magically back at home? _Maybe it was all just a bad dream..._ But she knew that wasn't the case. She shook her head and hugged herself as she looked at her mother, 

"H-How long have you been pregnant again, Mom? A-And where's Dad?" She didn't want it to be obvious. Maybe her mother could see right through her. Maybe...

"Honey? Are you feeling okay? You know Amy is due in just a few days. Your dad has been gone for years hun...he isn't coming back. Let me make you some tea," her mother guided her to the kitchen as Loraine kept her gaze to her feet. _This isn't happening. How is this happening? Will Lucy remember the man if I wake her up? **I hardly think so. No. It's only me that remembers...** Why? Why is this happening? **Maybe I should find the man...I have to find the man...**_ Without a second thought, she ran through the front door, falling to the ground as she tripped over something on the step. She blinked, turning to see what it'd been. A small box with a note attached to it sat there and she carefully picked it up with trembling hands, untying it to reveal a small golden watch, a blue tick mark moving ever so slowly. She flipped it over to see an engraving, in a small cursive writing. 

_91-25_

Not making sense to her in the slightest, she focused on the note instead, reading the words through her head over and over again as she tucked the watch into her pocket and licked her lips nervously.

_Everything will be okay. I promise it'll all make sense in time. You're not crazy...it's just that nobody remembers like you. -G._

"Honey?" her mother's voice called out to her, bringing her back to the present moment. She swiftly hid the box behind her, sliding the note inside her pocket before looking up to see her mother, "I made you some tea. Why don't you tell me what's going on with you?" Loraine managed a smile as she said with as much confidence as she could muster,

"Nothing's wrong mother. I just had a bad dream, that's all."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading if you've gotten this far! I know it's a bit slow right now, but I'm just setting up characters and once I've done that, I'll be having all the Flynn moments for you lovely readers! If you're looking for another Garcia Flynn story that's finished, going on to a sequel, and currently still being written, I recommend this story too! (I know this fandom is so underrated and I love Flynn, so I thought I'd share this with you!)  
> https://archiveofourown.org/works/15048743/chapters/34886531


	3. Flooded Memories

_2016_

Loraine ran her finger over the face of her watch, which somehow still managed to work to this very day. She looked up at the man who now stood in her kitchen, his chest bare as a display for her while he cooked her an egg with some toast. He sent her a smirk as he topped her plate with her breakfast, setting it on the counter as he tossed a towel over his shoulder. 

"So, did I make the cut for coming back later tonight?" he asked, leaning in close to her so that she felt his breath against her neck. She raised her cup of coffee to her lips and hummed in response,

"I can't tonight. I have to check up on my mom with my sisters." She took a bit of her toast, crunching softly as the man... _David? Daniel? God I was so drunk last night wasn't I? Never again, Loraine. Never again._ He gave her a pouty face and came around behind her, wrapping his arms around her torso as he buried his scruffy face in her neck, planting kisses along her throat. As much as she wanted this right now, she didn't feel quite up for it with this guy. Having made her breakfast...she knew that would lead to wanting a relationship, and she wasn't put up for that.

"I should probably get to work," she whispered, leaving half of her egg and toast untouched as she grabbed her cup and got to her feet, leaving the man frowning deeply as he watched her collect her things around his apartment. 

"I'll call you later then?" he asked, the obvious hope lingering in his voice as she mentally kicked herself and walked towards the front door,

"I'll call you." His frown disappeared in an instant when she said that, though guilt tug at her insides as she managed a fake smile and left the apartment building, hopping in her car as she quickly removed her phone from her pocket. Ignoring the horrible pounding mallet against her skull, she found the name of the guy she'd just been with: _Derek._ _I knew it started with a "D" at least._ She shrugged and deleted his number, blocking it before driving on towards home.

*** * ***

"When is Lucy supposed to be getting back?" Loraine asked her youngest sister as she rummaged through the fridge, pulling out a bottle of whiskey that she'd managed to stash away at some point in the last week. Amy raised a brow at her and shook her head, hoisting herself up from the couch and making her way over to her,

"She'll be back after her lecture tonight. What's up with you though? Usually, you have a glass of vodka before... _that."_ She scrunched up her nose in distaste as Loraine popped the cap and took a quick swig, enjoying the burning sensation that ran down her throat as she let out a small hiccup and looked over at Amy. Concern was written all over her face. One Loraine knew all too well. She held out her arms and scoffed,

"There are simply no men that I find desirable. They all want something more than I do..." She trailed off, licking her lips subconsciously as she recalled a certain night, 25 years back. She slumped down on one of the dining room chairs and pinched the bridge of her nose. She'd kept the secret for so long now, it was beginning to hurt. She fiddled with the strap of her watch and peered down at it, a sad expression marked across her features as she felt the engraving beneath it. 

"Lorry, you know you can tell me anything...right?" Amy whispered, sitting beside her as she watched her sister play with the object on her wrist. She'd worn it for as long as she could remember, only daring to take it off before bed. There'd been a time where Amy had taken it from her room to simply admire it, and after the fit Loraine had thrown, she knew better than to touch it again. But now...she was curious; something that seemed to run in their family.

"Who gave you that watch?" Amy questioned, her heart suddenly skipping a beat when her sister raised her head and considered her question before shrugging, going back to her fiddling,

"Nobody." 

"Then why do you treat it like it's so important?" Amy pressed lightly, genuinely interested in what her sister would tell her about it.

"I just love it, that's all."

"But you wear it all the time. Surely it's impacted you in _some_ way...?" Loraine sat in silence for a moment, wondering...wondering if she should tell Amy the truth. About the night that she could never get out of her head, no matter how long it'd been, and no matter how much she drank. She'd never once forgotten the name...the name that came back to her when she watched _Die Hard._ _Gruber._ She didn't remember what the man looked like. She'd only remembered his name and the scar that ran across the lower half of his face. It was strange to her that she couldn't picture him anymore. It was as though that part of her memory had been erased, faded away to the back of her head, though she'd had dreams when she was younger with the same man. It wasn't until she reached around twenty that she'd completely forgotten him. 

"Loraine?" Amy drew her back to her surroundings and she tilted her head at her, not having heard what she'd said. Amy sighed heavily and lowered her gaze, "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to, you know. But don't lie to me about it. I'm your sister, and haven't we told each other everything our whole lives? Including Lucy?" The older woman blinked, staring at the bottle in her hand before setting it down on the table and nodding, taking her sister's hand in hers as she smiled reassuringly,

"You're right. We do tell each other everything...but there's always been something you and Lucy have never known about me. Something...that if I told you now, you'd think I'm insane." Amy opened her mouth to protest that fact, but Loraine shook her head and went on, "But I'll tell you anyway, if you want to hear it that is?" Amy scanned her face for a moment, seeming to wonder if it was a trick she was playing, but she nodded, waiting for her to go on with her story. So Loraine told her. She told her what'd happened with their father before she was born, that he'd been arrested because of his actions towards her and Lucy. How she'd met a man who'd claimed to be an old friend of their mother and father. About the hotel and how it disappeared. Like magic. That she'd been at home with her mother, who had somehow grown a pregnant belly in five seconds. As though she'd missed an entire nine months. _Years._ Her father had never been arrested. Never even been in the picture since Lucy was born. And the mysterious box that had contained the watch on the porch, waiting for her.

She told her everything. There was a moment of silence when she'd finished speaking, leaving Amy to process it all before Loraine removed the item from her wrist, showing her the engraving. _91-25._

"What does that mean?" Amy asked, taking it in the palm of her hand as though she were supporting a baby bird. Loraine smiled sadly and shrugged,

"Well...1991 was when it happened...but it wouldn't make sense if it were a year because that means it'd end in supposedly 2025. I'm not sure. Maybe it's some sort of code to open a safe of something." She chuckled and took the watch back from Amy, putting it back on before setting the side of her head against her fist, looking to see the reaction on her sister's face. But Amy just shook her head,

"Maybe it was all a dream..." She suggested. Loraine nodded,

"Maybe."

"And the man? Gruber? Has Mom ever mentioned him or talked about old friends?" Loraine laughed dryly, getting to her feet and grabbing the bottle of whiskey,

"Mom doesn't know anything. I've asked about her old friends or anyone named Gruber. Maybe that man was lying about being friends in the first place. Maybe he just kidnapped me and put me on drugs or something. But the only thing I know for sure, is that Mom was never pregnant before that and I still have this watch. I just want to know what it all means. But it's been 25 years for crying out loud." She took another swig of her whiskey and cleared her throat, rubbing the back of her neck,

"I think I'm gonna go for a walk. Care to join me?" Amy smiled and got to her feet,

"Sure. But you're not bringing that bottle." She smirked as Loraine let out a groan of protest, but still allowed her younger sister to take it from her grasp and put it back in the fridge, "It'll be here when we get back, don't worry."

* * *

Lucy stood in the auditorium, which was now completely empty due to her ending the class session, smiling at the man before her as he pressed a peck to her lips before drawing back and giving her a nervous grin, rubbing the back of his neck before his face faltered completely.

"I have news. You're not gonna like it," he said awkwardly. Lucy's eyes widened in sudden realization and she gawked at him, 

"You're- _canceling_ my tenure meeting?!"

"It's not me-"

"You're Department Chair, Lyger!" Lucy ran her fingers through her hair and scoffed, shaking her head. He reached out to her in an attempt to calm her,

"It's the Committee. Now, can we just...talk about this over dinner?" Her jaw clenched at his words and she jolted away from him, the rage building up inside of her as she shook her head,

"I've busted my ass for tenure! Why?" She started her way towards the exit of the building, him following after her as they came to the set of stairs that led to the main doors outside. The frigid cold breeze greeted them and she turned around to face him in annoyance, waiting for his response.

"The Committee’s got issues with your curriculum-" 

"My classes are packed. There’s a damn waiting list-"

"So they can hear about Jumbo? And how 'George Washington grew Cannabis.' 'James Buchanan was probably our first gay president?' 'Catherine the Great loved porn?' What is that?" He was growing upset now, face flushed a bright shade of red as Lucy rolled her eyes, trying to make him see her side of it.

"So I _shouldn’t_ teach the truth? Is that what you're telling me?" she furrowed her brows.

"Of course you should, just - they want you to smooth out some of the rough edges."

"You used to love my rough edges..." Lucy said in a deflated tone, crossing her arms over her chest in an attempt to support herself in the situation. She couldn't wait to get back home and see Amy and Loraine. They would know how to cheer her up. "My Mother built this Department. There’s no way she’d put up with this P.C. crap! The real truth? You could push this through if you wanted," she pressed, trying to keep the hurt from lingering in her voice, feeling a lump rise in her throat.

"Try to play nice with the others. A few months, I’ll get the meeting reinstated," Lyger stated, and Lucy blinked, realizing that he wasn't at all who she thought he was. What'd happened to him? Had he always been a prick and she was just too blind to see it?

"I’m gonna fight this," she said, raising her head high to come across as more confident.

"Please don’t. You know history. Don’t pick a battle you can’t win," he said softly.

"Well, you know me..." Lucy retorted, feeling the urge to spit in his face, but instead, she just walked away, the silence following her all the way home, her thoughts the only sound.


	4. Unexpected Visits

His fingers brushed the sides of the ruffled pages in the journal, drawing in a collected breath as he went through everything that had led him to this moment. This was it. This was where it all began. But how could he be sure...of anything? What if he messed something up? What if this so-called Lucy had forgotten to mention something important to him? _You’re a hero. I promise you. You’re the good guy._ Her words rang repeatedly in his ears as he looked through the car window, closing the journal shut as he adjusted to a more comfortable position in his seat. He looked to the driver, nodding in approval as he stuffed the journal away in his jacket and pulled out a fake ID. _No turning back now._

* * *

Amy and Loraine had already been waiting for Lucy in their mother's room when she arrived, and Loraine watched as she set a Snickers bar on the pile of others that were placed on her bedside table before sitting down. "Hey Mom," she whispered with a soft smile, turning to her sisters, "How is she?" Amy sighed and ran a hand through her hair,

"Same as yesterday. And the day before." Loraine nodded in agreement before she got to her feet,

"Maybe we should head back downstairs. Have ourselves a drink." As she stepped out of the room, Amy heading down before her, Lucy stayed behind with Loraine, crossing her arms over her chest,

"So have you not already had plenty to drink tonight? Is that why you suggested we have one?" Ever since Loraine had moved out and gotten into her alcohol fetish, Lucy had never been able to accept it. Loraine rolled her eyes,

"You know I'm older than you, right?" She started to descend the stairs, but Lucy grasped her wrist to stop her, giving her one of her famous _I'm-being-serious_ looks.

"You should at least set an example for Amy if not for me. You already know I can be a heavy drinker at times too...but Amy doesn't need to be influenced." Loraine scrunched up her nose and blinked,

"Amy's old enough to make her own choices too, Lucy, And let's face it; she's always been the best of us three." With a shrug, she headed to the kitchen where Amy was already pouring them both a glass of vodka. Loraine glanced at Lucy before taking a shot and turning to Lucy, "So, how was work?"

"Hell. I didn't get the tenure," she stirred her drink with a straw before taking a sip, "I'm not giving up." Amy scoffed and leaned against the counter, shaking her head, 

"Or you could quit! Just get outta there! You don't need any more of this crap!" Loraine raised her brows in amusement, already having planned out what Lucy would say in response.

"And what? We all just live off your podcast. That department was Mom's legacy. What I've worked for my entire life. I can't just throw it all-" 

"There's so much more you could do Lucy. You don't have to keep doing things because Mom would be proud of them. Do it for you....You're a great professor and you could be appreciated so much more somewhere else." Amy suggested as a moment of silence washed over them. Loraine chuckled and looked between the two,

"Can we just acknowledge that this all sucks? Like...Lucy's taste in men?" Amy giggled and Lucy took a swig of her drink before rolling her eyes,

" _You're_ one to talk. What poor fella did you let down this time?" Loraine grinned and shrugged,

"A pro surfer I think. He looked like one anyway. We didn't talk much though, or at least, I don't remember." The three burst into laughter as they carried on into the night, talking about the nonsense things that could possibly come and bringing up old stories that mostly consisted of old crushes or relationships. After a while though, a rap came on the front door, making the three of them jump in surprise as they exchanged glances, seeming to piece together who it could be.

"As long as it's not that prick boss of yours Lu, otherwise I'm going to knock his teeth out. I don't care how handsome he may be," Amy giggled as Loraine got to her feet, padding over to check the peephole before furrowing her brows,

"It's a man. Looks like she's a cop or something." A shiver ran down her spine as she opened the door, coming face-to-face with the stranger before her.

* * *

The loud bangs of the gun firing rang in his ears as he entered the underground bunker. _What a shit hole. Like God damn rats hanging around in a sewer. Even smells like B.O._ He ignored the smell however and continued his rapid shooting, ducking behind barrels as he spied his target at the end of the tunnel; a large wheel-shaped machine that had a glowing blue trim around it's pearly white surface. _So this was what he was after?_ He stared at it for a beat before pressing forward with one of his companions, Stiv, one of the many men he'd paid to work with him. He was surprised any of them had believed his insane story, but here he was, breaking into Mason Industries in an attempt to steal something so precious. 

"Get down!" someone called from the other end of the room, covering a woman's head as he ducked down beside her. _No we're not going after them...Just-_ His heart thrummed across his chest as he spotted the older man with glasses, swiftly making his way over and pulling him along by the arm, spinning him around so his back was to his chest, pointing the pistol at his head,

"Nobody move! Or I'll shoot!" A silence fell over the company as he made his way up the steps to the machine, shoving the man inside before looking up to where a camera was clearly watching him from the wall. Ignoring it, he stepped inside the machine and ordered the man to get it started. _This is it._

* * *

"Loraine Preston? Sister of Lucy Preston, correct?" the man asked as Loraine opened the door, but before he could even confirm the details, he went on, "I’m Agent Kondo with Homeland Security." Lucy came to the side of Loraine and looked out at the man, her brows raised. She glanced at Loraine and plastered a fake smile on her face,

"Listen, whatever you’re selling, we’re not buying." She nudged Loraine back in an attempt to close the door, but the man stopped it and cleared his throat, flashing his badge to show he was being serious.

"Really. Agent Kondo. Homeland Security. Ms. Preston," he paused and looked to Loraine, seeming to consider something before saying, "Both of you need to come with me. It’s urgent." Amy came up behind them, seeming to realize something was actually happening as she said,

"What’s going on?" The so-called Agent Kondo ignored her question and looked between Loraine and Lucy,

"We need your help." Loraine frowned and shook her head,

"What would you need _our_ help for?"

"Look, you can’t just show up and-" Amy started to protest, but the man cut her off with a stern look,

"Yes, I can, actually. They’ll explain when you get there. Let's go." He started towards one of the black SUV's that was parked by the curb and waited as Lucy and Loraine exchanged a confused look. They turned to Amy, who had worry and concern etched upon her features. Lucy reached forward, giving her arm a squeeze of reassurance,

"Don't worry. We'll call you when we can." Loraine nodded, removing one of their mother's sweaters from the hook and pulling it over her shoulders. Lucy did the same before they stepped out into the frigid cold night, a sense of tingles of what was possibly happening running over Loraine as they made their way to the vehicle. Whatever this was, it couldn't be good.


	5. Seemingly Impossible

Nobody said a word as they drove down the road, Loraine gazing intently out her window as she considered the possibilities of where they were going. She had little doubt that it wouldn't end up as anything good; not with the way the man had given them his serious tone and look. Why did they need her and Lucy? What was really happening? Why did they only want them? How worried was Amy right now? Loraine had always been good at deciphering people, but for some reason, she couldn't figure this one out. What would Homeland Security be needing them for? They were just average citizens, right? What was the point?

It wasn't long before they came to a factory-looking building, the outside rather bland and boring. Agent Kondo got out of the car and went to their door, opening it and allowing them out as he guided them into the building. It smelled musty and it was rather cold, causing Loraine to wrap her arms around herself as she glanced over at Lucy, who kept her chin raised in confidence. She'd always been the most determined to get to the bottom of things without fearing what was to come, though Loraine knew she'd probably never admit it to her. She had her confidence too, but only to an extent. 

"Wait here, please," Agent Kondo gestured to a door that read, _Waiting Room._ _What the hell? What are we waiting for?_ They entered the room, finding another man already sitting on one of the couches, his head slumped forward and his eyes closed. He looked scruffy, wearing jeans and a jacket, dirty-blonde locks swept lazily to the side. Loraine shrugged when her sister gave her a questioning look before they took a seat on the couch across from him. They waited to see if he would open his eyes at the sound of them sitting on the rather squeaky cushions, but he didn't budge.

"Are you asleep?" Lucy asked softly, leaning towards him a bit. 

"No, ma’am," he responded bluntly, keeping his eyes closed. Loraine took in the room, spying a sign that said, _Mason Industries._ Where had she heard that before? Loraine nudged Lucy and motioned for her to read it, wondering if she could put two and two together. Her eyes widened,

"This is Connor Mason’s company?" She paused and looked back to the man, "Do you know why we’re here?" He groaned in a bored way,

"No idea, ma’am." Loraine grinned widely, knowing that nickname would piss Lucy off, and her next words confirmed what she expected,

"We’re pretty much the same age. You can stop calling me ma’am." The man opened his eyes, revealing two bright blue orbs. The tips of his lips twitched upwards as he scanned Lucy over, then his gaze shifted to Loraine's and he blinked, focusing back on her younger sister. Loraine crossed her arms over her chest as Lucy tucked a strand of hair from her face, lowering her gaze from his just as the door opened.

A darker woman walked in, her black hair falling in a bob at her shoulders. She had a dull red lipstick on her lips and she gave them all a raised brow. “Lucy Preston? Agent Denise Christopher, Homeland Security,” she held out a hand for her to shake as she drew in a breath, a smile appearing across her face as she nodded, “You have a hell of a reputation. History, anthropology, world-class.”

"I’m just a teacher. My mother is world-class,” Lucy returned the gesture and looked to Loraine, who Agent Christopher ha snow turned to, 

“Loraine Preston. You used to be a detective, did you not?” Loraine blinked, taking the woman’s hand hesitantly before nodding. _What exactly does this woman want? How does she know all this? Homeland security? That can’t make her a master on our files...unless..._

"That’s correct. I worked for the CIA for a good nineteen years. I quit however when our mother got sick," Loraine stiffened as Lucy set a reassuring hand on her shoulder as Agent Christopher gave a sympathetic look and folded her hands together in front of her,

"I've read all of her books. They were all so inspirational. I'm sorry to hear that." After a beat, she turned her attention to the man and shook his hand too, "And Master Sergeant Wyatt Logan. Delta Force?" 

"Yes ma'am," he said giving her a firm handshake. Loraine and Lucy blinked, processing what this could mean. _Delta Force? What the hell is going on?_

"Boy, speaking of reputations," Agent Christopher took in each of the strangers before her before pressing on, "We’re on the clock, so follow me. But hold on to your asses."

*** * ***

"Garcia Flynn. Ex-NSA asset in Eastern Europe," Agent Christopher had taken them up to a room that had glass walls so as to see the rather jumbled mess and ruins below from whatever happened here prior. Loraine could only guess that was why they were there, considering they had no other leads on the matter at the moment. She raised her attention to the screen the woman was displaying for them, revealing a picture of a man with slick black hair and sharp features, dark eyes that seemed to be burning with...something she couldn't quite place.

"Ex since when?" Wyatt questioned as he crossed his arms over his chest, remaining incredibly calm compared to Lucy and Loraine, who kept glancing at each other as though one had picked up on something the other hadn't. But of course, that wasn't the case.

"Since he killed his wife and child and went off the grid. That was a year ago. We thought he was holed up in Chechnya, but apparently not," the agent informed, turning to another screen where the man stood in a camera recording, the time in the corner showing that it'd only been shot an hour or so ago. _Killed his wife and child? What kind of monster would do that?_ Loraine swallowed the lump in her throat as she watched the video playthrough. She couldn't be sure considering there was nothing to compare him with, but he looked rather tall to her and a sense of dread washed over her as he looked straight at the camera, gaze seemingly to lock on hers before he turned and stepped inside a large white orb-like object.

"Why’s he taking the Star Tours ride?" Wyatt joked, letting out a laugh. But his humor was quick to disappear as a sonic boom went off and the object vanished into nothing, leaving just a few rustling papers. Lucy was the first to react, spinning around to face Agent Christopher, who was observing her reaction closely,

"What the hell was that?"

"Wasn't some kind of special effect..." Loraine muttered as Wyatt looked towards her, his brows knitted together as though she'd said the opposite of what he was thinking.

"Ever hear of a Closed Time-like Curve?" a new voice asked, causing them all to turn to face a black man in a suit, the lights above causing his bald head to shimmer brightly. Loraine noticed how Wyatt seemed to light up at his appearance and he gazed in utter awe at the man,

"You’re Connor Mason. My buddy has one of your cars." _Connor Mason. Mason Industries. So he's in charge then._ Loraine blinked, running over his words in her head before opening her mouth to speak, but Lucy beat her to it, her body language suggesting that she was more confused than ever.

"Excuse me. Closed Time-like what?" she asked, tilting her head as she attempted to figure it out. Connor took a piece of paper from the desk in front of him and spoke slowly and carefully, bending the paper back over itself,

"Say this is the fabric of space-time. If you had a powerful enough gravitational field, you could actually bend it back on itself. Creating a loop...that you could cross over to an earlier point." There was a pause as realization hit them and Loraine breathed,

"An earlier point...in time...? You don't mean...?"

"What he means is, Mr. Mason invented a time machine and chose not to tell the government until it was stolen by terrorists," Agent Christopher continued for her, nodding her head and leaning against the desk. The three looked between each other as Connor scoffed lightly,

"Right, ‘cause the Federal Government never screws things up and always keeps a secret." 

"We’re asking for your help now," the woman said softly, but Wyatt was quick to jump out of his thoughts and he burst out, making Loraine jump,

"Hold on. This is a joke. Some psych test a shrink in the Pentagon came up with. Right?"

"This isn’t...this _can’t_ be possible," Lucy added in a quieter tone, looking at Wyatt with concern. Loraine blinked, rolling her eyes at the two for their behavior. This was actually happening. And there was nothing they could do or say about it to change the fact that they'd created a time machine. An actual time machine to travel to the past. Someone had finally managed to piece it all together.

"That’s what they said about the moon shot. Until someone with enough imagination made it very possible," she shrugged, causing Wyatt and Lucy to shoot her a glare. She lowered her gaze to the ground Connor chuckled lightly,

"Yes, well....That would be me. Here, let me show you." He and Agent Christopher descended the stairs with Wyatt and the sisters behind them, coming up to a large sphere before them. In a way, it looked like an eye with the door's entrance having been placed in the center.

"Our earliest prototype. Not fancy, but she works...usually. We kept her operational in case the crew of the Mothership ever needed a rescue. We call this one the Lifeboat," Connor began as the three took in the massive and rather beautiful invention in front of them. Loraine reached out her hand and ran it along the surface, smiling softly. "Their CPU’s are linked...unfortunately, it can’t tell us where exactly the Mothership went. But it can tell us when."

"Right, naturally. Only tells you ‘when’. Time machine problems," Wyatt said sarcastically as Loraine turned back to face them, raising her brows at him as Lucy opened and closed her mouth like a gaping fish.

"We’re working on it, but for the moment, that’s the best we’ve got." Agent Christopher walked up to Lucy and removed something from her pocket,

"And we found this on the dead shooter. It’s an address, a tavern in Manchester, New Jersey." Lucy shook her head as she searched through the many file cabinets of history and dates in her head before confirming,

"That’s...the Hindenburg. About four hours before it crashed. You’re telling me...this guy actually traveled back in time? For real? To the Hindenburg?" Lucy, like Wyatt, was having a hard time understanding that this was really happening. It all felt so surreal to them. But Loraine was feeling a strange sense of deja vu, and she couldn't help but think back to that night when she got the watch. Subconsciously, her hand drifted to her wrist and she pressed the pad of her thumb against the engraving.

"Lucy, if Flynn kills people in ‘37 who aren’t supposed to die? They don’t have the kids they’re supposed to have...do the things they’re supposed to do...history changes...reality changes," Connor put in with a frown. _Flynn._ The name sounded like fire when it was said. Like flames that were in search of destroying what lies in its path, to engulf all that it comes across. Was this what the man was planning to do? And if so, what was he hoping to gain? How did he know who to kill and who not to kill?

"So why would you be stupid enough to invent something so dangerous?" Lucy scolded, glaring daggers into Conner, who put his hands up in defense,

"I didn’t count on this happening." Lucy then turned to Wyatt, who seemed nonchalant about the whole ideal now,

"And you’re just buying all this?" He shrugged, giving her a bored look as she scoffed and looked at Loraine, opening her mouth before thinking better of it, clenching her fists at her side as she shook her head.

"Why would he do it?" Loraine questioned in an attempt to give Lucy a breather for now.

"We don’t know...or how Flynn even knew about the machine in the first place. But there’s room in there for four passengers," Agent Christopher said. Lucy jerked her gaze up to meet hers, comprehending what she said pretty quick,

"To do what? Go after him?" Connor blinked and looked to Agent Christopher as though wondering why she'd kept the most important part away from them.

"Why else would we bring you here?" Lucy scoffed and started storming towards the exit, leaving Wyatt there as Loraine followed after her, hot on her heels.

"Lucy. Lucy wait!" she called after her, finding a skip in her step in an attempt to catch up to her. Agent Christopher came up behind them when they'd gotten back into the fresh air, but before she could say anything, Lucy faced her, frustration clear on her features,

"You’re insane! Even if I believed you, which I don’t, I’m not getting in that thing to, what, go after some terrorist? I’m not a soldier!"

"We have a soldier. We need a historian, a good one. Who knows the customs, can travel incognito, help us keep a low profile. And a detective, to work out anything Flynn leaves behind. Clues and anything he may leave behind to pick up his trail," Agent Christopher said objectively. _Oh, so I'm basically a scout dog. Great._

"I’ll email you some names-" 

"I’d think someone who loves history would want to save it. Lucy. This is real. And it’s serious. Besides. What if we are telling the truth? Don’t tell me you’re not the least bit curious," the woman cut her off, a silence falling between them as she considered it for a moment, looking to Loraine next,

"Are you...up for it?" She couldn't help the smile that ran across her lips as she nodded in confidence,

"I thought you'd never ask."


	6. First Trip

The first time was bound to be the worst, causing Flynn to curl up for a moment to process what had just happened, head spinning wildly as he groaned. He raised his head to the driver, who looked more than terrified out of his mind, staring blankly at the screen in front of him as though he too was processing everything. 

"You stay here. If you so much as move towards the door, one of my men won't hesitate to blow your legs off," he waited until the man nodded, his entire person trembling to the bone as he kept his gaze trained away from Flynn. Without a second to lose, he stepped out of the machine, taking in his surroundings. They'd landed in a forest, the trees standing tall around the clearing they were in, but not tall enough to spy the aircraft in the distance hanging in the sky, tied down by ropes. _One small step for mankind._

* * *

Loraine pulled the plaid jacket on, scanning Lucy up and down before shaking her head, the historian voicing her thoughts to Agent Christopher,

"This is all wrong. This skirt is from the 40's. The blouse...they didn't even have this fabric back then. Or underwire bras." Wyatt approached them wearing a similar enough style suit as he scoffed and sent Lucy a smirk,

"Who's going to see your bra?" Lucy rolled her eyes and pulled her phone from her pocket,

"I have to call our sister." Connor Mason walked up to them, shaking his head as he ushered to the machine,

"No time. You can do it when you get back." Without another word, he allowed them to step up the ladder to get through the entrance, a rather tight space greeting them as they took in the machine. There were four chairs, two on either side as they faced each other. There was a large layout of buttons and knobs, some flashing brilliant greens and blues while others were nothing but simple black and white buttons. There was something that looked like a lever or a clutch and one big screen above the dash that showed the settings that managed the time they were to travel to.

Loraine sat beside Lucy, across from Wyatt and another man who was as dark as Connor Mason. He had a buzzed haircut and facial hair all around his lips. Almost instantly, Loraine only assumed he was trustworthy and she smiled decided to start the round of introductions,

"I'm Loraine Preston, and this is my sister Lucy."

"Rufus. I'm...kind of...the pilot," he started pressing buttons on the dash before drawing in a collected breath.

"Wyatt," the blonde man said, buckling the seatbelt over his chest as Lucy and Loraine followed suit, "So, you've done this before, Rufus?" 

"Just simulations..." the pilot said, shaking his head as he mentally prepared himself for what was to come. Loraine was doing the same, closing her eyes as she listened to Agent Christopher pop in on them,

"Don't be noticed. Don't change anything. Understand?" Before any of them could answer her, the hatch closed and Wyatt's next comment made her open her eyes as he spoke to her sister,

"You okay?" Lucy nodded and forced a smile onto her face,

"I'm claustrophobic. And apparently we're about to time travel through time...so..." She sniffed the air, something Loraine had already picked up on when she asked, "Have you been drinking?" The smell of alcohol was marked on the man early on for her, though it was easier to spot for her because she was always around the smell. It'd grown to be a smell of comfort and warmth.

"Didn't know I was gonna be working tonight, ma'am," he responded, sinking further into his seat in an attempt to set himself at ease. Lucy furrowed her brows, staring daggers into his face,

"Stop. Calling. Me. Ma'am." He simply smirked as Loraine let out a soft chuckle, causing both of them to look at her, but she just shrugged in response as though saying, _"Don't let me disrupt your flustered argument."_ And with that, she closed her eyes and readied herself for the travel, but nothing could've prepared her for the emptiness in her stomach nor the light-headed part of the trip. It felt as though she were in the state between dreaming and waking up as they warped, the feeling so surreal and foreign, while another part of her knew it really was happening and it came crashing down on her as she drew in a gasp for air, opening her eyes as she watched Lucy across from her, holding the side of her head as she let out a pained groan.

"Well, that was pleasant," Loraine mumbled as she collected herself and unbuckled her seatbelt, stumbling to her feet as she held onto the wall for support. Her insides twisted uncomfortably as the door to the strange shuttle opened, allowing her to step outside, throwing up the contents in her stomach as she bit back the curses on the edge of her tongue. She frowned in distaste as the bile itched and burned her throat. _Fuck. What a damn great side-effect for time traveling. You'd think it would've been a first in-awe moment when showing up._ Flustered, she glanced up to where Lucy, Wyatt, and Rufus were stepping out, looking at her with concerned faces. Lucy sighed and walked over to her, patting her on the back and whispering,

"Maybe you should drink less from now on."

"Ha ha, very funny," Loraine rolled her eyes. 

"They say the sickness passes," Rufus stated as Loraine moved her hand to her wrist in habit. It was something she always did when she felt stressed, and as she felt the familiar object and engraving, she drew in a steady breath and turned to Lucy and the others.

"You okay?" she asked Wyatt, who was still leaning against the machine, blinking up at her as he studied her features. Clearly, he couldn't tell if she was genuinely concerned or if she was just messing with him. 

"Totally good," he said, raising his head to the trees. They all followed his line of sight and blinked. Loraine was already rubbing her eyes as she spied the hovercraft in the air above the trees, tied down by ropes. _So it's real. Everything they said about the time...this is amazing. This is possible. That's the Hindenburg!_ She opened her mouth to speak, but any and all words died on her lips as she shook her head and gazed intently at the creation of 1937. They were in 1937! She suddenly realized that this was no time to let excitement get to her, seeing as they were still here due to some strange man named Garcia Flynn who just so happened to want to destroy history in some way. Someone who'd had the guts and monstrous ability to kill his family. 

"Wow," Lucy breathed beside her after what may as well have been a century. She laughed softly to herself in disbelief before nodding and turning to face them all,

"I guess this is it. Let's get going." And with that, she led the way through the forest.

* * *

"So we're going to blow the ship up on its way _out_ instead of _in_?" one of Flynn's men asked as he tampered with the little device on the table. He'd already been working for an hour, and he found this man practically impossible to speak to, considering he kept peeking his head out of the garage in an attempt to watch for the three that were following. That were trying to stop them. They had about a dozen or so men on them, and as Flynn had pointed out several times, everything was going to be perfectly fine. Of course, all he'd done was pay the group to do as he said. No explanations needed- at least not for everyone.

"Yes," Flynn said in a bored tone, keeping his gaze trained outside.

"And you're not at all worried that they'll catch on?" the man asked again, connecting another wire to the circuit board inside. Finally turning around, the terrorist raised his brows,

"Are _you_ worried?" He reflected the question, stepping towards the much smaller man. It was obvious that he was intimidating. The man was over six feet for crying out loud, always held himself tall and collected; confident and knowing. He was stern and nobody dared to look him in the eye, else they should set fire to devour them. 

"No sir..." the bomb-maker lowered his gaze and shuffled nervously, feeling puny beneath Flynn's eyes. He then nodded and stepped away, making his way back over to the door,

"Plant it as soon as you finish. I'll be back." And just like that, he slipped outside, intent on starting what he had to. If anything in that journal was correct- and he was willing to bet it was -then he wouldn't encounter any problems. But that didn't mean he wasn't going to keep his head down, just in case.

* * *

"You know, they did this study. You get a dopamine hit every time you check your cell. That’s why people do it so much. It’s an addiction," Rufus rattled on nervously as they came to the top of a hill, coming face-to-face with a crowd of people and the Hindenburg looming like a dark majestic cloud above.

"Look around...and you’re worried about your phone?" Lucy looked to Rufus with a questionable brow, and he gave her a serious look,

"I’m worried about a lot of things." Loraine, despite him always seeming to...worry...thought this guy was pretty great, and she let out a soft chuckle as she rolled her eyes,

"First time traveling, huh? You're already a natural, kid." Rufus blinked and furrowed his brows, opening his mouth and raising a finger as though to shoot down her sarcastic remark, but Wyatt cut him off,

"One thing I don’t get. Apparently, this time machine works. So why don’t we just go back five minutes before Flynn stormed in, and shoot him in the face?"

"You can’t go back to any time you already exist; to where you’d meet a double of yourself. It’s bad for the fabric of reality," Lucy explained, shaking her head and scrunching up her nose at the horrible idea.

"Define ‘bad,'" Loraine suggested, seeing the look of confusion on Wyatt's face.

"We tried it. The pilot came back...but not all of him." Rufus muttered the last part, avoiding their looks of shock and surprise. Loraine spotted a bus rumbling towards them and she grinned, nudging her sister,

"C'mon. Let's hitch ourselves a ride." I think it was safe to say that Loraine Preston was truly enjoying herself, though of course the circumstances weren't all that good, but it'd been a long time since she'd felt a sense of freedom and spirit to do something worthwhile. _I suppose chasing a man down in the past has its perks. But how long will it last?_ Shaking the thoughts from her head, she waved for the driver to stop and climbed aboard with her...dare she say...crew? _Yes. This is my crew. I like the sound of that._


	7. Dangerous Encounters

"Wow," Lucy breathed, gazing at the stores before them in awe. Loraine smiled softly beside her as she whispered, "I wish you could see this, Mom." Her insides twisted with guilt, feeling as though she weren't worthy enough to be here. They had really time-traveled. How was it that she of all people deserved to be here? She didn't. That was that. She frowned and reached for Lucy's hand, but quickly refrained from doing so, knowing her and her sister weren't on the best of terms. Instead, she stuffed her hands in her pockets, kicking herself mentally for acting stupidly. 

"Gotta move you two. Professor, tell us what we're walking into," Wyatt broke the moment like a knife through the air between them, Lucy turning to him before coming back to reality, nodding. A few men passed by, tipping their hats to the two women, giving a soft, _'Ma'am'_ as they sent them smiles. Loraine rolled her eyes and glanced over at Lucy, who was glaring daggers at Wyatt. _I wonder..._ Loraine watched the two closely, noticing the tint of red on her sister's ears as she finally reverted her gaze from the man and cleared her throat, "Yeah, okay. The Hindenburg’s just reaching the airfield. But she won’t be able to land right away." There was a soft rumble of thunder from the distance, as though on cue, allowing Lucy to continue, "Because of that. Light rain and high winds. So she’ll make a bunch of turns. Causing air friction, building up static electricity. Then, at exactly 7:25 p.m., the Hindenburg will throw down its mooring ropes. But the ground crew drags the ropes through the wet grass, they get soaked."

"Which electrically grounds the ship. The metal hull would spark," Rufus added, the fear evident in his voice. Lucy nodded,

"Almost exactly like a lighter. Spark ignites a leaking hydrogen balloon, burning 2000 cubic liters of gas...and 36 people alive." Loraine scrunched up her nose, still trying to figure something out. What was the point of being here in this timeline? 

"Yeah, but...why’s Flynn here?" she voiced her thoughts, speaking mostly to herself. Lucy noticed a news stand and took a few cents from her coat before paying for a paper, the headline reading, _'Hindenburg Lands Today.'_

"Maybe he wants to kill all 97 people on board, instead of just the 36? Make a bad thing worse? Whatever it is...we find him first, as fast as we can." Rufus shuddered, licking his lips nervously,

"And if we do find him?" Wyatt puffed out his chest, showing off his confidence,

"Leave that to me."

* * *

Flynn made his way through the crowd of people, scanning the men that were holding onto the ropes as they attempted to pull down the Hindenburg. He kept his head low, watching. Waiting. He couldn't help but feel exposed out in the open, but what did he care? If the journal had anything to do with it- actually it had everything to do with it- he trusted it. His hands absent-mindedly went to his wrist as he focused back on this surroundings. He felt guilt seize him, knowing what was to come. Knowing that even thought his was Rittenhouse, he knew that he could also be the cause of changing things. His fists clenched at his sides, nails digging into his palms as the faded image of his wife and child. He closed his eyes, trying to refrain from letting the emotions overwhelm him.

_I have to move on. I know that. God, this is only my first travel and I'm losing it. Get it together Flynn. Get it together._ He drew in a deep breath and unclenched his hands, nodding to himself. _I can do this._ With that, he turned around, making a mental note to come back in half an hour. He had somewhere to be now.

* * *

They walked up to Harvell's tavern, Loraine's heart ramming against her chest as she kept her eyes on the individuals that passed by. She glanced at Rufus, who also looked uneasy, though it was clearly for different reasons. He kept his head lowered,

"Everyone’s staring at me."

"No one’s staring at you," Wyatt told him in reassurance, crossing his arms over his chest as he looked to Lucy for their next steps.

"Okay, this is it. It’s the 30’s, so, very proper, family values, ‘please and thank you’s.’ Just follow my lead," Lucy gestured to the door and walked inside, Loraine fixing the collar of her blouse as she looked around. It was rather noisy, loud chatter and music blaring through the room. It was dark, no windows allowing for any light. The smell was of sweat and must, making her gag mentally, her head already becoming dizzy as she covered her mouth and shook her head,

"You see Flynn?" They all scanned the room, sighing in annoyance when the man was no where to be seen. It would've been much easier if they knew where he was. They attracted a few eyes, sneers written on everyone's faces as Rufus shifted from one foot to the other, "You’re right; they’re staring at you. Maybe we should wait outside." Loraine looked to Lucy, then to the counter that was covered in empty glasses that whiskey or beer used to be in surely. Her stomach grumbled in protest, but she knew she shouldn't bother with it until the mission was over. She would have plenty of time and plenty to drink when they got home.

"And on a scale from Million Man March to Mississippi Burning, how safe is it gonna be for me outside?" Rufus said in sarcasm, making Loraine frown,

"Don't worry, I'll be with you. Just don't make eye contact with anyone." She offered him a small smile, which he returned and nodded gratefully, leaving Wyatt and Lucy in the tavern. 

"So...what did Agent Christopher want you for? I mean, I know your sister is the historian and Wyatt's the soldier. But what was it that she thought you had?" Rufus asked, attempting to make small talk as they moved into an alley for a bit of privacy from straying eyes. Loraine fiddled with her fingers and shrugged,

"I used to work for CSI. I picked up some forensics too along the way. I'm good at deciphering clues I suppose." The man smirked at that and tapped his temple,

"Now deciphering things I understand. Why'd you leave?" 

"My mother got sick...a few years ago. I didn't want to be far from her anymore, and I wanted to help out my sisters," Loraine swallowed the lump that formed in her throat as she peeked out of the alley, blinking when she spotted a familiar figure across the street, but not before it disappeared through a group of people, making her wonder if she'd just imagined it.

"Rufus? I think I just saw-" she was cut off when a loud grunt occurred beside her, making her jump as she looked down at a collapsed Rufus on the ground. She opened her mouth to scream, but something covered her mouth and she was pressed against a hard chest behind her. She struggled and kicked, but to no avail; the hold on her was too strong. She was guided along the alley and behind the building as she watched Rufus get dragged by a smaller man towards her.

"Don't struggle," a gruff voice hissed, making her stop momentarily. _That voice....Where have I heard that voice before?_ "I'm going to remove my hand now, but I won't hesitate to blow your brains out if you scream," she heard the cock of a gun in her ear as though to prove himself before he removed his hand.

"What do you want?" she snapped, feeling rather awkward that she couldn't see the man behind her, his grip still tight on her shoulders to keep her facing forward. She felt the warmth of his breath drift across her neck, making her hair rise, skin prickling with goosebumps.

"I want you to get out of my way," he responded, fingers squeezing lightly into her shoulder. She blinked, a shiver running through her as she looked down at Rufus,

"What makes you think I'll do that? You're him aren't you? Garcia Flynn?" There was a heavy sigh of what sounded like annoyance as he turned her around to face him, her body freezing as she looked up at him. The picture that Agent Christopher didn't do him justice at all. He was much taller than her, standing a couple feet above her, making her feel quite puny. His eyes glittered dangerously as he scanned her features, his chest heaving slowly, steady, paced. She blinked,

"Why are you-"

"I don't have much time," he interrupted her, removing something from his pocket and putting it in her hand, closing her fingers over it. Before she could look to see what it was, he put his pistol in the pocket inside his coat and looked her straight in the eyes,

"Stay out of my way. It's the best thing for you right now." And with that, he motioned for his henchman to get a head start and started after him, leaving Loraine flabbergasted, not at all sure what to do as she looked down at Rufus, who was stirring to his senses now.

"What the hell was that? Loraine?" he groaned as he sat up and looked at her with worry, "Who-"

"Flynn," she snapped angrily, facing him as she felt the rage boil inside her, "He was here." She ignored his confused look as she looked at what he'd handed her, her heart skipping a beat as she stared blankly at the note. _April 15, 1865._ _Train Station, 3:46PM._

"You'll never guess who we just met!" Lucy and Wyatt came into view, their excited faces falling when they spotted Rufus, "Um...what happened?" Loraine stuffed the note in her pocket as she repeated what she'd just said,

"He was here."


	8. Plan Devised

"What did he say again?" Wyatt asked as they made their way down the street towards the Hindenburg. They needed to find Flynn, and the first place they assumed he'd be was somewhere amongst the crowd. It had just started sprinkling, Loraine wrapping her arms around herself as she trembled from the cold gusts of wind that kept greeting her.

"Just not to get in his way," Loraine muttered, not wanting to talk about her weird meeting with Flynn. She didn't know what to think. The words on the note he'd handed her. She wasn't sure what they stood for. It looked to be some sort of schedule, but why? For what? And why did he give it to her? Was he setting her up? Was it a trap? And why her of the entire group? She couldn't figure out the details that kept ringing in her head as they walked in silence, making their way to the crowd of people. 

"How the hell are we gonna find Flynn in this mess?" Rufus blurted out, looking over his shoulder nervously, as though the man would be summoned by speaking his name. They trudged through the mud, Lucy removing a photograph of Flynn from her pocket as she showed people his picture.

"Why is he wearing pajamas?" everyone kept asking, their faces contorted in confusion. 

"We don’t have time for this," Wyatt grumbled, wiping a hand over his face. Lucy however pushed his comment aside, a new determination washing over her as she made her way to a man in a suit,

"Excuse me? Commander Rosendahl? I’m sorry to bother you. It’s urgent." The man blinked at her, then looked up at their group, furrowing his brows,

"Yes?"

"This man’s working as one of your ground crew, and it’s very important we find him. Quickly," she told him, showing him the picture too. He rubbed his chin and frowned,

"This is Dr. Dre. I’m Nurse Jackie. We’re from General Hospital. This man is a patient of ours. Which is why he’s wearing pajamas. He has a bad case of Spanish Flu, which last time killed, what, almost seven hundred thousand in the U.S. alone? So you can see why we’re nervous." Loraine's eyebrows shot up in amusement, impressed by how well they were able to lie to this man and make up a random story. It worked well though since he straightened up and nodded,

"Of course. I’ll help however I can." With that, he took the photo from Lucy and started asking around. Rufus tapped his foot impatiently and drew in a collected breath,

"What the hell’s taking him so long? It’s 7:15. Ten minutes left." Wyatt nodded,

"Okay, split up. And if you see Flynn, don’t engage. Find me first." They all exchanged a glance, agreeing before splitting up and dispersing through the crowd, Loraine feeling her pulse rise as she kept her eye out for Flynn. He was going to kill all these people. Whatever he'd told her was long gone by now, something she would have to go through again in her head later. She didn't have time to think it through. Pushing everything away and pushing down the guilt she felt for lying to her own sister. But what else was she supposed to do? _Focus Loraine. Focus._ She came to an abrupt stop when she caught sight of the top of his head through the crowd, rushing away from the scene. _Fuck._

"Wyatt!" Lucy's voice broke through the air, making Loraine spin around to see the soldier running out onto the field towards a blonde woman who was taking pictures of the Hindenburg, practically knocking her over as he attempted to get her away from the ship. _God damn it._ Loraine looked back to where Flynn had been, licking her lips as she debated on what to do. Loraine huffed and collected herself as she ran after Flynn, nearly running into someone as she cursed, realizing it was Lucy. 

"C'mon he's getting away!" she grasped her hand and started after Flynn, who was side-stepping every person in his way like he was walking through a maze, his movements quick and mentally processed just a beat beforehand. They rounded a hangar and came to an abrupt stop, seeing that Flynn was no longer anywhere in sight. Two men jumped in front of them, Loraine's eyes widening as she once again came face-to-face with Garcia Flynn, his arms reaching out to her as Lucy struggled with the other man's grip on her. She dodged his hands and bared her teeth, backing away as he advanced towards her slowly, a stern gaze on his face. Her back hit the side of a car and her breathing hitched as she glanced over at Lucy, her stomach flipping as she was carried into a large garage.

"I thought I told you to stay out of my way?" Flynn said lowly, narrowing his gaze. Loraine shook her head, feeling that she needed an explanation at least, pulling out the note he'd given her,

"What the hell is this?" He stopped and she noticed the way his jaw tensed, eyes seeming to search her own, making her insides spin into a frenzy. _What is with that look?_ When he didn't answer her question, she decided to ask a different one, panicking and wondering what was happening to her sister right now. She needed to get away from him.

"What's the point of all this?" There was a soft banging noise that made her jump, eyes traveling momentarily to the garage doors as she gaped up at the man in fear, but he didn't make any move towards her, keeping a good three feet away from her.

"In time, you'll learn to realize I'm not the bad guy here," he whispered, so quiet that she almost missed what he'd said. She opened her mouth to say something, but not before the doors were thrown open, both looking to see Lucy standing there with Wyatt behind her. Flynn was quick to sprint off, throwing himself over a car as he disappeared, Wyatt aiming a gun and shooting as he started after him, but Loraine grasped his arm and shook her head, Rufus spotting and rushing over to them as he caught his breath,

"Something's wrong. Lucy," he turned to face her, hearing the cheering of the crowd in the distance, "Flynn just saved the Hindenburg..."

* * *

"Gimme a hand," Wyatt looked up at Rufus as he went to move the guy he'd shot a few minutes ago. Thank God he'd been there, otherwise who knows what would have happened to her. 

"I’m not touching him," Rufus crossed his arms over his chest as he eyed Wyatt. 

"Look, I get it, your first dead guy. But he won’t bite," the blonde man scoffed, making Loraine roll her eyes and get down on her knees to help him instead.

"It’s not. Not my first dead guy. Not even my first dead guy today," Rufus mumbled as Loraine frowned at Rufus. She was aware that he wasn't the best guy to reveal things like this. She didn't know what she'd been expecting, but people dying wasn't one of the things.

"Saving the Hindenburg? How’d Flynn even do it?" Wyatt wondered aloud, feeling just as lost as everyone else. To their surprise, Rufus was the one to speak out, the idea clicking for him,

"The mooring ropes. I saw some Crewmen. They didn’t let the ropes drag on the wet grass. They wound them up. No wet ropes means the ship didn’t ground...no spark in the hull; no boom." Loraine nodded slowly, piecing everything together slowly. 

"Those must’ve been Flynn’s guys then," she suggested.

"I’m less worried about _how_ Flynn did it than why," Lucy bit back, rubbing her temples as Wyatt gave her a frown,

"It’s a bad thing 36 people lived?" Lucy drew in a sharp breath, getting to her feet as she started to pace, hands on her hips,

"Very bad. It’s gonna change the present in ways we can’t possibly predict..." Loraine watched her stress over it all before turning to see Wyatt digging through the pockets of the man, opening her mouth to speak, but he pulled out a high-tech walkie-talkie, her brows raising instead. Rufus brightened up and approached him, taking it in his hands,

"Finally some civilization in this backwater crap-hole. I can work with this. Rewire it to track the other walkie’s signal. Lead us to Flynn. Gimme a minute."

* * *

"We need that walkie. I’ll go down there and-" Stiv was cut off as Flynn snapped,

"I said no. The women don’t get hurt." His eyes softened as he gazed through the binoculars again, watching as Rufus worked on the walkie talkie and Lucy paced back and forth, obviously trying to figure out what the hell was happening. Then he shifted his gaze to Loraine, his breathing hitching as he watched her scan the outside of the building, seeming frightened based on her entire stance, straight and tensed. He sighed heavily, knowing it would take some time to get used to this. All of it. It wasn't her- _their-_ fault. It was his. He was the one with the secret. 

"The bomb's ready. We should get going," Stiv huffed, taking back the binoculars from Flynn.

* * *

Loraine watched quietly as Rufus went to work, examining the device closely as he spread out a few tools he'd found around the hangar on the table, giving her a soft smile as she returned it, sitting on a stool beside him. She glanced over to where Lucy was standing, watching the Hindenburg as Wyatt walked up to her, hands clasped behind him as he followed her gaze.

"You shouldn’t have brought that gun," she said to him, not sparing him her look.

"The one I saved your ass with?" he scoffed and shook his head, making her turn sharply to him.

"We’re surrounded by Nazis. What if one of ‘em takes your future gun to Berlin?"

"Sometimes things get messy," Wyatt bit back, jaw clenching tightly as he glared down at Lucy. Loraine's skin boiled, but she knew that Lucy would be able to handle it. She was the historian after all; if anyone could persuade the soldier about the wrongs of what he'd done, it was her.

"It’s my job to make sure there is no mess," she told him, running a hand through her hair, obviously flustered. He nodded, waiting a moment before returning his gaze back outside,

"My first Delta mission? Somalia. We train two months to take out this warlord. Even built a replica of his compound at Fort Bragg. Halo into his backyard at oh-four-hundred, expecting everyone to be asleep...turns out that one night, he’s got the whole village over to watch a soccer game. They start firing at us before half the guys even hit the ground."

"What’s your point?" Lucy asked, her tone softer this time after hearing his story.

"There’s always a mess. That’s the deal," he shrugged his shoulders and looked back towards Loraine and Rufus, the two averting their stares upon realizing they'd been listening in.

"I know, but-" Lucy started, but Wyatt cut her off,

"So now we make it up as we go. And I take out Flynn, which might require the use of a damn gun."

"If that’s your job, then why’d you run off after Kate?" Wyatt's expression fell, brows furrowed as he opened his mouth to speak, but this time, Rufus was the one to break the conversation, worry linting in his own voice,

"Um. So turns out, I can’t track Flynn. Cause this isn’t a walkie. Least, not anymore."

"What do you mean?" Wyatt asked in annoyance as he made his way over.

"They soldered the lead wires. It won’t transmit, just receives. And...it’s got this thing-" Wyatt picked up the walkie and frowned before realization hit him, eyes widening,

"It’s a blasting cap. This is a detonator."

"For...a bomb?" Loraine swallowed the lump in her throat as she looked between them.

"Kate’s column. Listen: “the Hindenburg will welcome many luminaries aboard its return trip to Europe and the King’s Coronation. John D. Rockefeller, Jr., Omar Bradley, Igor Sikorsky...” Lucy had taken a piece of the newspaper, tearing off the article as she moved towards them, continuing when she gained their attention, "Rockefeller’s gonna help build the United Nations. Bradley’s crucial to planning D-Day. Sikorsky invented the damn helicopter. (off their looks) What if that’s why Flynn saved the Hindenburg? What if he didn’t want to blow it on the way in -- because he wants to blow it on the way out? (steps to Wyatt, desperate) If these people die? The damage to the timeline, it’s-" Lights beaming in their faces made them all jump, turning to see two silhouettes walking towards them, guns pointing at them,

"Hands up! Stay right where you are!" _Fuck. This is not good._


End file.
